1. Field of the invention
This invention relates to a golf putter club head construction and more particularly to a golf putter club head construction including a cushioned layer which controls compression. More particularly, this invention relates to a golf putter club head which includes an exposed rigid face plate and at least one flexible layer interposed between the club head and rigid face plate.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The sport of golf is played with irons, woods and a putter.
Irons and woods have the ball on the club head surface for a longer period of time than a putter. The increased contact time between the ball and the club head maximizes ball spin in the air. A putter absorbs energy and slowly releases the energy when in contact with a ball so that the ball is not quickly accelerated from the club with backspin as easily as with irons or woods. This characteristic results in a truer roll of the ball on the putting green. In addition, some putter head designs increase the sweet spot of a club head to reduce vibration after contact with the ball thereby to improve distance on off-center hits. This reduction in vibration improves the "feel" of the club at impact with the ball. "Feel" is a common term in golf for a golfer having a sensation of being able to control a balls' action
Conventionally, club heads are constructed of one solid material or of a composite of metal materials. More recently, club heads are being coated with materials such as ceramics or titanium to provide more deflection of energy to the ball with deceased club head weight. The essential property of a club face plate is to deflect energy to a ball with minimum of energy absorption. If this is accomplished, the result is controlled distance of ball travel. Unfortunately, a quick deflection of energy results in minimum time of a ball on the club face with an accompanying loss of feel. Control of a ball through feel is critical to a golfer's success in controlling distance and direction of golf ball travel.
Control of golf ball travel is most critical with clubs which are used for short yardage distance such as occurs with pitching, chipping and putting clubs. With clubs which perform these functions, the longer period the ball is in contact with the club face, the more control there is of ball spin in the air for chipping and pitching and roll on the ground for putting.
Each club is used to hit a ball with a particular distance range depending on the speed of the club head when it strikes the ball. Present clubs which are designed to cushion a club face at impact to provide some improvement in feel at some distances with little improvement at other distances.
Many materials such as resins, rubbers, fiber glasses, various type of ceramics, nylon, plastics have been described for use in a club head but deteriorate with time from natural breakdown or stress fatigue from constantly hitting a golf ball. Other materials which have minimum breakdown with time offer little elasticity for a true improvement in feel. The use of these materials is never controlled by comparing and controlling elastic layer thickness to elastic layer softness to club head face plate surface area to club head speed ratios. In addition, there is no control of compression at various club head speeds by use of multiple layers of different durometer at controlled thickness.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,975,023, Inamoari describes a club head capable of increasing the flying distance of the ball hit in a substantial degree, imparting a refreshing feeling of the ball hitting to the player and being manufactured at low cost and durable for long time use. The club head design incorporates an intermediate plastic or rubber layer. However, there is no consideration of ratio of this material softness to thickness to face plate area which would allow compression of material when the club head speed is slow and maximum compression of material when the club head speed is fast. Compression at various speeds is not controlled by structuring an elastic layer which will fully compress and cause compression of a different layer. The patent states that the purpose is to achieve an increase of 30% distance which further implies that only maximum club head speed is being considered. In addition, there is no design consideration of the intermediate layer which could increase the sweet spot and improve performance of off center ball strikes.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,630,829, Nishigaki describes a club head with a face portion consisting of layers of glass fibers or carbon fibers laminated alternately. The club head is designed to increase the sweet spot and the center of gravity distribution as well as the hardness and roughness of a ball striking surface but does not allow increased compression and feel especially at various club head speeds.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,616, Fernandez describes a club head which is constructed of a molded lightweight composite material. The design is intended to provide improved weight and mass distribution for better ball striking. The patent does not provide a club head with improved compression and feel.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,403,281, Chen describes a shock absorbing casing of a magnesium alloy and an elastic plate of an aluminum alloy, a titanium alloy or a ceramic material. The elastic plate is fastened securely to an open end of the hollow casing such that the elastic plate forms the ball striking face of the golf club head. The shock absorbing elastic plate of this invention does not provide variable controlled compression and golf feel.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,340,107 Baker describes a highly polished monolithic putter of silicon nitride and construction technique. The putter provides highly polished aesthetically pleasing head. The putter does not provide an intermediate layer which compresses for better ball spin and roll nor does it provide better feel. The construction technique and material usage is also time consuming and expensive.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a golf putter club head which allows controlled compression of and release of a face plate when contacting a golf ball. Such a construction would permit control of golf ball roll and provide the golfer with a good feel when the club strikes the ball.